Angus Members Amass 1 Million Genotypes
Milestone positions those using registered Angus sires, dams to reap benefits of future tools.
Angus Genetics Inc. (AGI) has reached its 1 millionth mark in Angus genotypes. This was a monumental accomplishment for the Angus breed, says Kelli Retallick-Riley, president of AGI, a subsidiary of the American Angus Association.
“It has taken just a little over a decade for Angus breeders to reach this impressive milestone,” says Retallick-Riley. “This is a testament to the pioneer mindset Angus breeders have always hung their hats on. The early adoption of genomic technology has led Angus to this point and will lend to future tools designed specifically for users of registered Angus genetics.”
“It has taken just a little over a decade for Angus breeders to reach this impressive milestone. This is a testament to the pioneer mindset Angus breeders have always hung their hats on."
AGI began including genomics in the genetic evaluation in 2010 with the idea of using this technology to enhance accuracy, evaluate for traits at earlier ages and predict difficult-to-measure traits for Angus breeders. In addition to its large genotype database, the American Angus Association is home to the largest beef cattle breed phenotype database in the world. With that knowledge, the pace of adoption of genomic technology has increased.
In the first four years of collecting genomic samples, AGI hit its first milestone of collecting 100,000 genotypes. In 2018, AGI had accumulated half a million genotypes. While it took eight years to collect the first 500,000 genotypes, it only took three years to collect the next. Currently, around 3,000 genotypes enter the evaluation each week.
As for the future of genomic testing at AGI, staff say they hope to continue to make significant advancements to further enhance the beef cattle industry economically. With this amount of data in hand, AGI is looking at ways to leverage this database to create novel solutions to real-world problems. Angus producers should be excited about what the future holds, says Retallick-Riley.
“The value of genomics is here,” she says. “While we continue to optimize these solutions to ensure accurate genetic tools, I have no doubt that the next 10 years with genomics will only continue to drive genetic progress and profitability for our independently owned farming and ranching families.”
To learn more, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fTXhcIHcEU.
Editor’s note: Riley Reep is the communications intern for the American Angus Association.
